CN113348424A

CN113348424A - Hinge device and bendable assembly

Info

Publication number: CN113348424A
Application number: CN201980079840.2A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 王宇翔; 黄彪
Original assignee: Shenzhen Royole Technologies Co Ltd
Current assignee: Shenzhen Royole Technologies Co Ltd
Priority date: 2019-06-06
Filing date: 2019-06-06
Publication date: 2021-09-03
Also published as: WO2020243945A1

Abstract

The invention provides a hinge device (103) comprising a first hinge unit (108) and a second hinge unit (109), wherein the first hinge unit (108) comprises a connecting part (115); the second hinge unit (109) includes a guide groove (1131); the first hinge unit (108) is slidably connected with the guide groove (1131) of the second hinge unit (109) through the connecting part (115), so that the user can conveniently change the form of the flexible piece according to personal preference and needs. The invention also provides a bendable assembly (100).

Description

Hinge device and bendable assembly

Technical Field

The present invention relates to the field of electronic technologies, and in particular, to a hinge device and a foldable assembly.

Background

Flexible display panels are receiving more and more attention due to their flexible nature. However, the flexible display panel is generally fixed on a curved surface having a fixed curvature, such as a curved television, and the range of use is limited.

Disclosure of Invention

To solve the above problems, an embodiment of the present invention discloses a hinge device with a wider application range and a bendable assembly.

A hinge device includes a first hinge unit and a second hinge unit, the first hinge unit including a connecting portion; the second hinge unit includes a guide groove; the first hinge unit is slidably connected with the guide groove of the second hinge unit through the connecting part.

A bendable assembly comprises a flexible part and the hinge device, wherein the flexible part is fixedly connected with the hinge device.

According to the hinge device and the bendable component provided by the invention, the connecting part of the first hinge unit is connected with the guide groove of the second hinge unit in a sliding manner, so that a user can conveniently change the form of the flexible part according to personal preference and needs, and the use range and the use experience of the user are improved.

Drawings

In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings needed to be used in the embodiments will be briefly described below, and it is obvious that the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present invention, and it is obvious for those skilled in the art that other drawings can be obtained according to these drawings without creative efforts.

Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective assembly view of a bendable assembly according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a partially exploded perspective view of the bendable assembly shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the bendable assembly shown in FIG. 1.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the hinge device and the elastic frame assembled together.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the hinge assembly shown in FIG. 4 assembled with an elastic bezel.

Fig. 6 is a partially perspective assembly view of a hinge device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the hinge assembly shown in fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a perspective assembly view of a hinge unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 9 is an exploded perspective view of the hinge unit shown in fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a schematic view of two adjacent hinge units connected together.

Fig. 11 is a schematic view of a partial structure of the hinge device.

Fig. 12 is a schematic view of the bendable assembly provided in this embodiment in a flattened state.

FIG. 13 is a schematic view of a portion of a bendable element in a bent state.

Fig. 14 is still another schematic view of a partial structure of the hinge device.

FIG. 15 is a schematic view of a bendable assembly according to an embodiment of the invention in a bent state.

Fig. 16 is a front view of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention, and it is obvious that the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of the embodiments. All other embodiments, which can be derived by a person skilled in the art from the embodiments given herein without making any creative effort, shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Referring to fig. 1-5, fig. 1 is a schematic perspective assembly view of a bendable element according to an embodiment of the invention, fig. 2 is a schematic perspective exploded view of a portion of the bendable element shown in fig. 1, and fig. 3 is a schematic perspective exploded view of the bendable element shown in fig. 1.

A bendable assembly 100 includes a flexible member 101 and a hinge device 103. The flexible member 101 includes a front surface 1011 and a back surface 1013 disposed opposite to each other. The hinge device 103 is fixedly connected to the back surface 1013 of the flexible member 101 for unfolding or folding the flexible member 101. The back 1013 covers the top of the hinge device 103. In this embodiment, the flexible member 101 is a display panel. The front 1011 of the flexure 101 is for display. It is understood that the flexible member 101 may also be other flexible structures, for example, the flexible member 101 may be a touch panel, and the front surface 1011 of the flexible member 101 is used for detecting touch; the flexible member 101 may be a display touch panel, and the front surface 1011 of the flexible member 101 is used for displaying and detecting touch.

Referring to fig. 4 and 5, fig. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the hinge device and the elastic frame being assembled together, and fig. 5 is another perspective view illustrating the hinge device and the elastic frame being assembled together shown in fig. 4. The bendable assembly 100 further includes a resilient frame 105, the resilient frame 105 is disposed between the back surface 1013 (shown in fig. 2-3) of the flexible element 101 and the hinge device 103 for supporting the flexible element 101 and increasing the strength of the bendable assembly 100. The elastic frame 105 has a frame shape. The elastic frame 105 is fixed to the back surface 1013 of the flexible element 101 by a glue layer and is arranged along the edge contour of the flexible element 101. The hinge device 103 is fixed to the side of the elastic frame 105 away from the flexible member 101 by a welding process. In this embodiment, the elastic frame 105 is a stainless steel frame; the number of hinge devices 103 is two, each hinge device 103 being arranged along a longer side of the elastic rim 105, i.e. each hinge device 103 being arranged along a longer side of the flexible element 101.

It is understood that the material of the elastic frame 105 is not limited, for example, the elastic frame 105 may be made of plastic; the number of the hinge devices 103 is not limited, and for example, the number of the hinge devices 103 may be one or two or more; the hinge device 103 is not limited to be disposed along the long side of the flexible member 101, that is, the region where the hinge device 103 and the flexible member 101 are disposed is not limited, for example, the hinge device 103 may extend along the shorter side of the flexible member 101, and the hinge device 103 may be configured to maintain the flexible member 101 in a bent state or a flattened state.

Specifically, please refer to fig. 6 and 7, in which fig. 6 is a partially assembled perspective view of a hinge device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and fig. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the hinge device shown in fig. 6. The hinge device 103 includes a plurality of hinge units 10 connected in series. Referring to fig. 8 and 9, fig. 8 is a schematic perspective assembly view of a hinge unit according to an embodiment of the present invention, and fig. 9 is a schematic perspective exploded view of the hinge unit shown in fig. 8, in which each hinge unit 10 includes a hinge element 11 and an elastic abutting device 13. The hinge 11 includes a hinge body 113 and a connecting portion 115 protruding from one end of the hinge body 113, and the other end of the hinge body 113 is provided with a guide groove 1131. The elastic holding device 13 is disposed on the hinge body 113.

Referring to fig. 10, fig. 10 is a schematic view illustrating two adjacent hinge units connected together, and the connecting portion 115 includes a connecting shaft 1150. The connecting portion 115 of each hinge unit 10 is movably connected with the guide groove 1131 of the adjacent hinge unit 10 through the connecting shaft 1150 and abuts against the elastic abutting device 13 of the adjacent hinge unit 10. In this embodiment, the guide groove 1131 is arc-shaped, and the sliding track of the connecting portion 115 moving along the guide groove 1131 of the adjacent hinge unit 10 is arc-shaped, so that the two adjacent hinge units 10 are bent relatively to form an arc-shaped structure. In other words, the movement of the connecting shaft 1150 of the connecting portion 115 along the guide groove 1131 of the adjacent hinge unit 10 is a partial circular movement, so that the movement of the two adjacent hinge units 10 in the relative bending process is smoother and smoother, and further, the bending process of the flexible part 101 is smoother and smoother, which is beneficial to reducing the damage to the flexible part 101 due to bending, and thus, the service life of the flexible part 101 is prolonged. Further, the connection shaft 1150 of the connection portion 115 is slidably connected to the guide groove 1131, so that the hinge unit 10 can be bent or flattened relatively, the structure of the hinge device 103 is simplified, and the miniaturization of the bendable assembly 100 is facilitated. It is understood that the shape of the guide groove 1131 is not limited. In addition, the relative bending or flattening of the hinge units 10 as presented in this application refers to the change in position between the hinge units 10.

Since the connecting portion 115 of each hinge unit 10 is connected to the guide groove 1131 of the adjacent hinge unit 10 and abuts against the elastic abutting device 13 of the adjacent hinge unit 10, the adjacent hinge unit 10 can be kept relatively flat or bent by the elastic force of the elastic abutting device 13, so that the bendable assembly 100 can be switched between the bending state and the flat state. The bent state is a state in which at least a part of the flexible member 101 is bent with respect to the rest; the flat state is a state in which the front surface 1011 of the flexure 101 is flat.

The hinge body 113 further includes a first end surface 1132, a second end surface 1133, a top surface 1134, and a bottom surface 1135. First end surface 1132 and second end surface 1133 are disposed opposite to each other, and top surface 1134 and bottom surface 1135 are disposed opposite to each other. The connecting portion 115 is protruded from the first end surface 1132. In this embodiment, the first end surface 1132 and the second end surface 1133 are both disposed obliquely to the bottom surface 1135. The inclination angle of the first end surface 1132 relative to the bottom surface 1135 is a first inclination angle α, and the inclination angle of the second end surface 1133 relative to the bottom surface 1135 is a second inclination angle β, where the first inclination angle α is an acute angle and the second inclination angle β is an obtuse angle, so as to reduce the moving space when the hinge unit 10 bends relative to the adjacent hinge unit 10, thereby facilitating the miniaturization of the hinge device 103. In other embodiments, the first inclination angle α is not limited to an acute angle, and the second inclination angle β is not limited to an obtuse angle.

In some embodiments, the first end surface 1132 of each hinge unit 10 and the second end surface 1135 of the adjacent hinge unit 10 can be well fitted together, so that the two adjacent hinge units 10 can be spliced together without a gap after being bent relatively, thereby improving the supporting stability of the hinge device 103 for the flexible member 101. When the first end surfaces 1132 of the hinge units 10 are attached to the second end surfaces 1133 of the adjacent hinge units 10, the top surfaces 1134 of the two adjacent hinge units 10 are spliced to form a gapless surface, which is beneficial to forming a smooth curved surface when the flexible member 101 is bent.

The top surface 1134 is disposed toward the flexure 101. The top surface 1134 is provided with a protrusion 1137 for fixedly connecting with the elastic frame 105. Since the hinge unit 10 is fixedly connected to the side of the elastic frame 105 facing away from the flexible part 101 via the fixing protrusion 1137, a gap 107 is formed between the elastic frame 105 and the top surface 1134. The gap 107 can provide a suitable deformation space for the elastic frame 105 and the flexible element 101, which is beneficial to the elastic frame 105 and the flexible element 101 to release the stress generated by bending, thereby prolonging the service life of the elastic frame 105 and the flexible element 101. The top surface 1134 is a curved surface. In this embodiment, after each hinge unit 10 is bent relatively, the top surface 1134 of each hinge unit 10 can be spliced into a 180-degree arc structure, so as to be well attached to the flexible part 101, so that the flexible part 101 can also form a smooth arc surface, thereby reducing the damage to the flexible part 101 due to bending and prolonging the service life of the flexible part 101. It is understood that the top surface 1134 is not limited to a curved surface, and the top surface 1134 may also be a flat surface or other curved surface.

The hinge body 113 is provided with a receiving cavity 16 for receiving the elastic holding device 13. The opening of the receiving cavity 16 extends from the opening of the second end surface 1133 to the bottom surface 1135. The receiving chamber 16 communicates with the guide groove 1131, thereby forming a guide groove passage. The housing chamber 16 extends in the horizontal direction. The horizontal direction is the extending direction of two adjacent hinge units 10 when the two hinge units 10 are relatively flattened. The guide groove 1131 is formed on a side wall of the receiving cavity 16, and in the present embodiment, the guide groove 1131 penetrates through the side wall of the hinge body 113, and the guide groove 1131 is used for movably contacting with the connecting portion 115 of the adjacent hinge unit 10. The guide groove 1131 is disposed obliquely to the bottom surface 1135.

The elastic supporting device 13 is accommodated in the accommodating cavity 16. The connecting portion 115 of each hinge unit 10 extends into the receiving cavity 16 of the adjacent hinge unit 10 and abuts against the elastic abutting device 13 of the adjacent hinge unit 10. Because the elastic abutting device 13 is accommodated in the accommodating cavity 16, the accommodating cavity 16 limits the telescopic motion of the elastic abutting device 13, which is beneficial to keeping the motion of the hinge unit 10 relative to the adjacent hinge unit 10 smooth and stable, and is also beneficial to preventing the telescopic motion of the elastic abutting device 13 from being interfered by other structures of the bendable assembly 100.

The elastic supporting device 13 includes an elastic member 14 and a supporting block 15. In the present embodiment, the elastic member 13 is a columnar spring. It is understood that the elastic abutment means 13 may omit the abutment block 15; the elastic member 14 may also be of other elastic structures, such as a torsion spring or the like. The elastic piece 14 and the abutting block 15 are both accommodated in the accommodating cavity 16, and the elastic piece 14 is located on one side of the abutting block 15 departing from the opening of the accommodating cavity 16.

When the hinge unit 10 is flattened relative to the adjacent hinge unit 10 and is not subjected to an external force, the abutting block 15 is subjected to an elastic force of the elastic member 14 in the opening direction of the accommodating cavity 16, the abutting block 15 abuts against the connecting portion 115 of the adjacent hinge unit 10, and the abutting block 15 is stopped in the guide groove channel, that is, the abutting block 15 can stop the movement of the connecting shaft 1150 of the adjacent hinge unit 10 along the guide groove 1131. In the present embodiment, the abutting direction of the abutting block 15 against the connecting portion 115 of the adjacent hinge unit 10 is substantially parallel to the direction of the elastic force received by the abutting block 15. When the hinge unit 10 and the adjacent hinge unit 10 are subjected to a force greater than the first threshold value, the connecting portion 115 of the adjacent hinge unit 10 overcomes the elastic force of the elastic member 14, so that the abutting block 15 is forced to retract in the direction of the elastic member 14, the guide groove channel is no longer blocked by the abutting block 15, and the connecting portion 115 of the adjacent hinge unit 10 slides along the guide groove 1131.

Because the opening of the receiving cavity 16 is communicated with the guide groove 1131 to form a guide groove channel, when the abutting block 15 enters the guide groove channel, the connecting shaft 1150 of the adjacent hinge unit 10 can be stopped along the movement of the guide groove 1131, and when the abutting block 15 exits the guide groove channel, the connecting shaft 1150 of the adjacent hinge unit 10 can perform a circular movement along the guide groove 1131, so that the hinge unit 10 can be kept in a stable flat or bent state relative to the adjacent hinge unit 10, and the use by a user is facilitated.

Further, the abutting block 15 includes a sliding portion 151 and an abutting portion 153 protruding from one end of the sliding portion 151. One end of the sliding portion 151 departing from the abutting portion 153 is connected to the elastic member 14. The other end of the abutting portion 153 facing away from the sliding portion 151 is used to abut against the connecting portion 115 of the adjacent hinge unit 10.

The supporting portion 153 includes a first side surface 1531, an end surface 1533 and a second side surface 1535, and the end surface 1533 is connected between the first side surface 1531 and the second side surface 1535. The first side 1531 and the second side 1535 are fixedly connected to the sliding portion 151, and the first side 1531 is disposed on the abutting portion 153 facing the flexible component 101. Second side 1535 is disposed toward bottom surface 1135. The first side 1531 is provided with a protrusion 1537. The side of the connecting portion 115 facing away from the flexible member 101 forms an abutting groove 1151 for abutting against the abutting protrusion 1537 of the adjacent hinge unit 10.

It is understood that in one embodiment, the bottom side of the connecting portion 115 has an abutting groove 1151, and the top side of the abutting block 15 has an abutting protrusion 1537 for mating with the abutting groove 1151.

The connecting portion 115 can move along the guide groove 1131 of the adjacent hinge unit 10, when the end of the connecting portion 115 departing from the hinge main body 113 reaches the second position from the first position of the guide groove 1131 of the adjacent hinge unit 10, the abutting groove 1151 of the connecting portion 115 and the abutting protrusion 1537 of the adjacent hinge unit 10 are clamped and connected, so that the adjacent two hinge units 10 keep the bending angle, and the connecting portion 115 can not damage the hinge 11 due to excessive movement, thereby prolonging the service life of the bendable assembly 100. In this embodiment, the first position is an end (bottom end) where the guide groove 1131 is disposed adjacent to the bottom surface 1135, and the second position is an end (top end) where the guide groove 1131 is disposed adjacent to the top surface 1133. It is understood that the first position may be other positions of the guide groove 1131, the second position may be other positions of the guide groove 1131, for example, the second position may be a middle position of the guide groove 1131, and so on.

The connecting portion 115 also includes an end surface 1155 distal from the hinge body 113. End surface 1155 includes a convex curved surface. The end face 1533 includes a concave curved surface that is capable of mating with the end face 1155 to facilitate the hinge unit 10 remaining stable relative to an adjacent hinge unit 10 at the junction 115 against the end face 1533 of the adjacent hinge unit 10. It will be appreciated that end surface 1155 may include a concave curve and end surface 1533 includes a convex curve that is capable of mating with end surface 1155.

Further, the receiving cavity 16 includes a first receiving section 161 and a second receiving section 163 sequentially connected to each other. Compared with the second housing section 163, the first housing section 161 is disposed adjacent to the second end surface 1133. The guide groove 1131 is located in the first housing section 161. The second receiving section 163 forms a supporting step 167 for supporting against the sliding portion 151 to prevent the supporting block 15 and the elastic member 14 from separating from the receiving cavity 13.

The bottom surface 1135 is provided with a mounting groove 1138 communicating with the receiving cavity 16. The hinge unit 10 further includes a pressure plate 18. The pressing plate 18 covers the mounting groove 1138 for facilitating the assembly and disassembly of the elastic support device 13. More specifically, the pressing plate 18 includes a base 181 and a positioning portion 183 protruding from one end of the base 181. The mounting slot 1138 includes a bottom wall 1139 and a side wall 1140 connected to the bottom wall 1139. The bottom wall 1139 is provided with a through hole 1143 communicating with the receiving cavity 16, so that the elastic holding device 13 can be conveniently loaded into the receiving cavity 16 through the through hole 1143. The side wall 1140 is concavely provided with a positioning slot 1144, and the substrate 181 is fixedly accommodated in the installation slot 1138. The positioning portion 183 is received in the positioning slot 1144, which facilitates the assembly of the pressing plate 18 on the hinge member 11.

The hinge unit 10 further includes a fixing member 19. The pressing plate 18 is fixedly connected with the hinge main body 11 through a fixing piece 19, and the assembling and the disassembling of the pressing plate 18 are convenient.

Referring to fig. 11, fig. 11 is a schematic view of a partial structure of the hinge device. The hinge device 103 includes a first hinge unit 108 (only a part of which is shown in fig. 11), a second hinge unit 109, and a third hinge unit 110. The first hinge unit 108, the second hinge unit 109, and the third hinge unit 110 have the same structure. The connecting shaft 1150 of the connecting portion 115 of the first hinge unit 108 extends from the opening of the receiving cavity 16 of the second hinge unit 109 into sliding connection with the guide groove 1131 of the second hinge unit 109. The elastic abutting device 13 of the second hinge unit 109 abuts against the connecting portion 115 of the first hinge unit 108. The connecting portion 115 of the second hinge unit 109 extends from the opening of the receiving cavity 16 of the third hinge unit 110 to be slidably connected with the guide groove 1131 of the third hinge unit 110. The elastic abutting device 13 of the third hinge unit 110 abuts against the connecting portion 115 of the second hinge unit 109.

Since the first hinge unit 108, the second hinge unit 108 and the third hinge unit 110 have the same structure, the first hinge unit 108 and the second hinge unit 109 will be briefly described below as an example.

For example, when the connecting shaft 1150 of the first hinge unit 108 is located at the first position of the guide groove 1131 of the adjacent second hinge unit 109 (the guide groove 1131 is far away from the bottom end of the flexible member 101), the end surface 1155 of the connecting portion 115 of the first hinge unit 108 abuts against the end surface 1533 of the abutting portion 153 of the second hinge unit 109 due to the elastic force of the elastic member 14 of the second hinge unit 109 toward the opening of the receiving cavity 16. The corresponding flexible members 101 on the first hinge unit 108 and the second hinge unit 109 are in a flattened state. If the connecting shaft 1150 of each hinge unit 10 is located at the bottom end of the guiding groove 1131 of the adjacent hinge unit 10, the whole flexible element 101 is in a flat state, please refer to fig. 12, fig. 12 is a schematic view of the bendable assembly provided by the embodiment of the present invention in the flat state, and the flexible element 101 is in a plane when the bendable assembly 100 is in the flat state.

When the first hinge unit 108 and the second hinge unit 109 are relatively unfolded and the force applied is smaller than the first threshold, the end face 1533 of the abutting block 15 of the second hinge unit 109 abuts against the end face 1155 of the connecting portion 115 of the first hinge unit 108 under the force of the elastic member 14 of the second hinge unit 109.

When the first hinge unit 108 and the second hinge unit 109 are unfolded relatively and the force is greater than or equal to the first threshold, the connecting portion 115 of the first hinge unit 108 slides along the guide groove 1131 of the second hinge unit 109 against the resistance of the elastic member 14 of the second hinge unit 109, thereby realizing the relative bending of the first hinge unit 108 and the second hinge unit 109. When the first hinge unit 108 bends relative to the second hinge unit 109, the bending tangent direction of the flexible member 101 is changed, i.e. not fixed.

Referring to fig. 13-14, fig. 13 is a schematic view of a portion of a bendable element in a bent state, and fig. 14 is a further schematic view of the hinge device when the portion of the hinge device is bent. When the first hinge unit 108 (only a part of which is shown in fig. 13) is bent with respect to the second hinge unit 109, the abutting groove 1151 of the connecting portion 115 of the first hinge unit 108 moves toward the guide groove 1131 of the second hinge unit 109, the abutting block 15 of the second hinge unit 109 is pushed by the connecting portion 115 of the first hinge unit 108 to drive the elastic member 14 of the second hinge unit 109 to deform, and the abutting protrusion 1537 of the second hinge unit 109 is inserted into the abutting groove 1151 of the first hinge unit 108.

For example, the connecting shaft 1150 of the first hinge unit 108 moves from the first position of the guide groove 1131 of the second hinge unit 109 (the guide groove 1131 is away from the bottom end of the flexible member 101) to the second position of the second hinge unit 109 (the top end of the guide groove 1131 adjacent to the flexible member 101), the abutting protrusion 1537 of the abutting block 15 of the second hinge unit 109 is engaged with the abutting groove 1151, and the first hinge unit 108 and the second hinge unit 109 maintain the bending angle under the elastic action of the elastic member 14 of the second hinge unit 109. Referring to fig. 15, fig. 15 is a schematic view illustrating the bendable component of the present embodiment in a bent state, in which the corresponding portions of the flexible element 101 on the first hinge unit 108 and the second hinge unit 109 are bent, and the flexible element 101 is in a bent state.

When the first hinge unit 108 and the second hinge unit 109 are bent relatively and the stress is greater than or equal to the second threshold, the abutting block 15 of the second hinge unit 10 is stressed to cause the abutting protrusion 1537 of the second hinge unit 10 to disengage from the abutting groove 1151 of the first hinge unit 108; and the elastic member 14 of the second hinge unit 109 deforms to move the abutting block 15 of the second hinge unit 109 toward the elastic member 14 of the second hinge unit 109; the connecting portion 115 of the first hinge unit 108 slides along the guiding groove 1131 of the second hinge unit 109 toward the opening of the receiving cavity 16 until the end surface 1155 of the connecting portion 115 of the first hinge unit 108 abuts against the end surface 1533 of the abutting block 15 of the second hinge unit 109.

In one embodiment, the hinge device 103 may include two hinge units slidably connected, the hinge device 103 includes a first hinge unit 108 and a second hinge unit 109, the first hinge unit 108 includes a connecting portion 115; the second hinge unit 109 includes a guide groove 1131; the first hinge unit 108 is slidably coupled to the guide groove 1131 of the second hinge unit 109 by the coupling portion 115. That is, the guide groove 1131 and the elastic support device 13 can be omitted from the first hinge unit 108. The second hinge unit 109 can omit the connecting portion 115 and the elastic support device 13.

In one embodiment, the second hinge unit 109 further includes a connecting portion 115, the connecting portion 115 of the second hinge unit 109 is located at a first end of the second hinge unit 109, the guide groove 1131 of the second hinge unit 109 is located at a second end of the second hinge unit 109, the hinge device 103 further includes a third hinge unit 110, the third hinge unit 110 includes a guide groove 1131, and the connecting portion 115 of the second hinge unit 109 is slidably connected with the guide groove 1131 of the third hinge unit 110.

In one embodiment, each connection portion 115 includes a connection shaft 1150, and the connection shaft 1150 of the first hinge unit 108 is slidably connected with the guide groove 1131 of the second hinge unit 109; the connecting shaft 1150 of the second hinge unit 109 is slidably connected to the guide groove 1131 of the third hinge unit 110.

In one embodiment, the second hinge unit 109 is further provided with an elastic abutting device 13 abutting against the connecting portion 115 of the first hinge unit 108; when the stress on the first hinge unit 108 and the second hinge unit 109 is smaller than the first threshold, the elastic abutting device 13 abuts against the connecting portion 115 of the first hinge unit 108, so as to prevent the connecting portion 115 of the first hinge unit 108 and the guide groove 1131 from sliding relatively.

In one embodiment, the second hinge unit 109 further has a receiving cavity 16 communicating with the guiding groove 1131, the elastic support device 13 is received in the receiving cavity 16, an opening of the receiving cavity 16 is disposed at an end of the second hinge unit 109 adjacent to the first hinge unit 108, and the connecting portion 115 of the first hinge unit 108 extends from the opening of the receiving cavity 16 of the second hinge unit 109 to be slidably connected with the guiding groove 1131 of the second hinge unit 109.

In one embodiment, each of the first hinge unit 108 and the second hinge unit 109 includes a hinge body 113, the connecting portion 115 is protruded on the hinge body 113 of the first hinge unit 108, the guide groove 1131 is formed on the hinge body 113 of the second hinge unit 109, the top surface 1134 of the hinge body 113 forms an arc surface, and after the first hinge unit 108 and the second hinge unit 109 are bent relatively, the top surface 1134 of the hinge body 113 of the first hinge unit 108 and the top surface 1134 of the hinge body 113 of the second hinge unit 109 form an arc surface structure.

In one embodiment, each of the connection portions 115 includes a connection shaft 1150, the connection shaft 1150 of the first hinge unit 108 is slidably connected to the guide groove 1131 of the second hinge unit 109, and the connection shaft 1150 of the second hinge unit 109 is slidably connected to the guide groove 1131 of the third hinge unit 110.

Referring to fig. 16, the present invention further provides an electronic device 200, wherein the electronic device 100 includes the bendable element 100 as described above. The electronic device 100 may be any electronic device such as a smart phone, a smart watch, a tablet computer, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a point of sale (POS), a vehicle-mounted computer, a desktop computer, a notebook computer, and a smart television, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present invention.

While the foregoing is directed to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

A hinge device includes a first hinge unit and a second hinge unit, wherein the first hinge unit includes a connecting portion; the second hinge unit includes a guide groove; the first hinge unit is slidably connected with the guide groove of the second hinge unit through the connecting part.
The hinge device according to claim 1, wherein the second hinge unit is further provided with an elastic abutting device which abuts against the connecting portion of the first hinge unit; when the stress of the first hinge unit and the stress of the second hinge unit are smaller than a threshold value, the elastic abutting device abuts against the connecting part of the first hinge unit, and the connecting part of the first hinge unit and the guide groove are prevented from sliding relatively.
The hinge device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the second hinge unit further comprises a receiving cavity communicating with the guiding groove, the elastic abutting device is received in the receiving cavity, an opening of the receiving cavity is formed at an end of the second hinge unit adjacent to the first hinge unit, and the connecting portion of the first hinge unit extends into the receiving cavity of the second hinge unit from the opening of the receiving cavity and is slidably connected with the guiding groove of the second hinge unit.
The hinge device according to claim 3, wherein the elastic abutting device comprises an abutting block and an elastic member, and when the first hinge unit and the second hinge unit are relatively unfolded and the force applied to the first hinge unit is smaller than a first threshold value, the end surface of the abutting block of the second hinge unit is abutted against the end surface of the connecting portion of the first hinge unit by the force of the elastic member of the second hinge unit.
The hinge device according to claim 3, wherein when the first hinge unit and the second hinge unit are relatively unfolded and subjected to a force equal to or greater than a first threshold, the connecting portion of the first hinge unit overcomes a resistance of the elastic member of the second hinge unit to slide along the guide groove of the second hinge unit, thereby achieving the relative bending of the first hinge unit and the second hinge unit.
The hinge assembly of claim 3, wherein the bottom side of the connecting portion has an abutting groove; the top side of the abutting block is provided with an abutting bulge which is matched with the abutting groove.
The hinge device according to claim 6, wherein when the first hinge unit and the second hinge unit are bent relatively, the abutting groove of the connecting portion of the first hinge unit moves toward the guide groove of the second hinge unit, the abutting block of the second hinge unit is pushed by the connecting portion of the first hinge unit to drive the elastic member of the second hinge unit to deform, and the abutting protrusion of the second hinge unit is inserted into the abutting groove of the first hinge unit.
The hinge device according to claim 6, wherein when the first hinge unit and the second hinge unit are bent relatively and the force applied is greater than or equal to a second threshold, the abutting block of the second hinge unit is forced to cause the abutting protrusion of the second hinge unit to disengage from the abutting groove of the first hinge unit; the elastic piece of the second hinge unit deforms to enable the abutting block of the second hinge unit to move towards the elastic piece of the second hinge unit; the connecting part of the first hinge unit slides to the opening of the accommodating cavity along the guide groove of the second hinge unit until the end face of the connecting part of the first hinge unit abuts against the end face of the abutting block of the second hinge unit.
The hinge assembly of claim 3, wherein the receiving cavity extends in a horizontal direction.
The hinge assembly as claimed in claim 9, wherein a mounting groove is formed at a bottom of the second hinge unit and communicates with the receiving cavity, and the second hinge unit further comprises a pressing plate fixedly received in the mounting groove.
The hinge device according to claim 1 or 5, wherein the guide groove is arc-shaped, and a sliding track of the connecting portion along the guide groove is arc-shaped, so that the first hinge unit and the second hinge unit are bent relatively to form an arc-shaped structure.
The hinge device according to claim 1, wherein the first hinge unit and the second hinge unit each include a hinge body, the connecting portion is protruded from the hinge body of the first hinge unit, the guide groove is formed in the hinge body of the second hinge unit, a top surface of the hinge body forms an arc surface, and after the first hinge unit and the second hinge unit are bent relative to each other, the top surface of the hinge body of the first hinge unit and the top surface of the hinge body of the second hinge unit form an arc surface structure.
The hinge assembly of any of claims 1-12, wherein the second hinge unit further comprises a connecting portion at a first end of the second hinge unit, wherein the guide slot of the second hinge unit is at a second end of the second hinge unit, and wherein the hinge assembly further comprises a third hinge unit comprising a guide slot, wherein the connecting portion of the second hinge unit is in sliding engagement with the guide slot of the third hinge unit.
The hinge device according to claim 13, wherein each connecting portion includes a connecting shaft, the connecting shaft of the first hinge unit is slidably connected with the guide groove of the second hinge unit, and the connecting shaft of the second hinge unit is slidably connected with the guide groove of the third hinge unit.
A bendable assembly comprising a flexible member and a hinge device according to any one of claims 1 to 14, the flexible member being fixedly connected to the hinge device.
The bendable assembly of claim 15, wherein the flexible element comprises a front surface for displaying or detecting touch and a back surface disposed opposite the front surface, the back surface covering a top surface of the hinge device.
The bendable assembly of claim 16, wherein the first hinge unit and the second hinge unit are provided with a fixing protrusion on top surfaces thereof, the fixing protrusion being fixedly connected to the back surface of the flexible member.
The bendable assembly of claim 16, further comprising an elastic border disposed between the flexible screen and the hinge assembly, wherein the connecting protrusion is fixedly attached to the back of the flexible member via the elastic border.
A bendable assembly according to any one of claims 15-18 wherein the flexible member is a flexible screen.